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arancini

Italian Arancini

Try this delicious recipe for Italian arancini, a perfect side dish or appetizer for any meal. Everyone will love it!
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Prep Time 8 hours
Cook Time 2 minutes
Course Appetizer
Cuisine Italian
Servings 8 servings
Calories 210 kcal

Equipment

  • dutch oven
  • Large cast iron skillet

Ingredients
 

Step 1: Baked Risotto

  • 1 tbsp Salted butter
  • 1/2 cup Yellow onion, minced very small
  • 2 cloves Garlic
  • 1½ cups Arborio rice
  • 1/2 cup Pinot grigio
  • 3 cups Chicken broth
  • 1 cup Milk
  • 1/2 tsp Sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 1/2 tsp Oregano
  • 1½ cup Mozzarella cheese
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese (freshly grated)

Step 2: Forming and Frying the arancini

  • 1/2 cup All purpose flour
  • 1/4 tsp Sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp Black pepper
  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 cup Plain bread crumbs
  • Avocado Oil (frying)

Marinara dipping sauce

Instructions
 

Baked Risotto Instructions

  • Preheat the oven to 350℉.
  • In a large dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat.
  • Add the onions and garlic and sauté until soft.
  • Pour the dry arborio into the dutch oven and stir to lightly coat the rice with the butter. Give the rice a few minutes in the hot butter to enable the starches to break down a little to create the signature texture of risotto.
  • Add the pinot grigio and stir for about 3-4 minutes or until the liquid becomes creamy.
  • Add the chicken broth, milk, sea salt, pepper, and oregano.
  • Stir to combine all the ingredients and bring the dutch oven to a simmer.
  • Once the broth begins to simmer, cover and place the dutch oven into the preheated oven.
  • Bake the rice for 30 minutes.
  • After baking, remove from the oven and allow to rest for 1 hour at room temperature. Do not remove the cover while the risotto is cooling.
  • Once it is cool enough to refrigerate, stir the mozzarella and parmesan into the rice and refrigerate until cold. I usually refrigerate for 7-8 hours before assembling and frying the arancini.

Heating the marinara

  • In a medium saucepan, simmer tomato sauce, oregano, basil, and salt over medium low heat. Allow the sauce to simmer while continuing to make the arancini.

Forming and frying the Arancini

  • Remove the risotto from the refrigerator and gather supplies for frying.
  • In a large cast iron skillet, heat avocado oil over medium heat.
  • The frying process will be to form the balls, dip in flour, dip in egg, cover in bread crumbs.
    Set up 3 bowls with the breading ingredients. Bowl #1- flour, salt, and pepper. Bowl #2 beaten eggs. Bowl #3 bread crumbs.
  • Remove a small palmful (about 2 tablespoons) of cold risotto rice from the dutch oven and form into a ball. If it is too sticky to work with, wet your hands a little.
  • Dip the rice ball into the flour, then the egg, then the bread crumbs.
  • Gently place the ball into the hot oil to fry. The bread crumbs become golden and crispy pretty quickly. Turn the rice balls as they fry. I can generally fit about 12 into the skillet at a time.
  • Once the arancini is golden brown on all areas of the outside, remove from the oil and drain on a paper towel lined cooling rack.
  • Serve right away with hot marinara dipping sauce.

Nutrition

Serving: 2ballsCalories: 210kcal
Keyword rice
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